15 Mar
2008
15 Mar
'08
8:55 p.m.
On Saturday 15 March 2008 16:28, Michael B. Brutman wrote:
I received a TRS-80 Model 4 from Erik Klein (thanks
Erik!) that needs a
little care. The machine hasn't been opened in 25 years, and it's a bit
grimy. The keyboard barely works, and the drives probably need
disassembly and cleaning too.
I have the Sams Computerfacts for the Model 3, which should be close
enough to the Model 4 for the type of work I'm going to be doing. Any
words of advise before I crack the case open and void the warranty?
It's been quite some time since I got into one of those, but what comes to
mind is sharp edges. The thing will want to draw blood if you're not
careful. :-)
I plan on taking lots of pictures as I go to avoid
forgetting how things
go back together. I'm also going to be cleaning the inside of the
machine as best as I can, keeping well clear of the CRT which I
understand might try to kill me.
The thing there is to avoid putting any stress on the neck of the tube, or the
small board that's attached to it. Doing so will *not* be much fun if things
snap, been there and done that one (I was helping carry a TV into my office
to work on it, and the guy who brought it over had removed the back to fit
it into the trunk of his car).
--
Member of the toughest, meanest, deadliest, most unrelenting -- and
ablest -- form of life in this section of space, ?a critter that can
be killed but can't be tamed. ?--Robert A. Heinlein, "The Puppet Masters"
-
Information is more dangerous than cannon to a society ruled by lies. --James
M Dakin